


Beacon Of Hope

by Madcinder



Category: RWBY
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-30
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-09-03 09:26:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8706928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madcinder/pseuds/Madcinder
Summary: Ruby Rose and her fellow students find themselves trapped in Beacon by a nefarious headmaster that wants them to kill each other to graduate. Can they live together, or will they succumb to the villain's wishes and find themselves fighting their friends for survival?





	1. A Beacon Of Hope

Ruby Rose stood alone at the back of a shop named From Dust Till Dawn. She had a pair of red headphones covering her ears, blasting her favorite song into her brain. Her nose was stuck in a magazine about weapons, so she hadn't noticed the man who had walked up behind her until he grabbed her hood and pulled it down. She turned to look at him, surprised. When he pointed to his ear, indicating that he was trying to speak to her, she obliged and moved her headphones down to around her neck.

She only noticed the sword in his hand when he shoved its point at her. "I said, put your hands up!"

She squinted at him. "Are you… robbing me?"

"Yes!" The man answered, exasperated.

"Oh…" Ruby was far from letting that happen. In the blink of an eye she drove her foot into his stomach, causing him to crumple over. Taking a step back, she jumped in the air and spun around, letting out a war cry as she delivered a hefty kick straight to the man's face. He flew across the store, crashing into a shelf just in front of the window.

She smirked at the sight of her handiwork, but celebration was cut short as another man appeared. He was dressed exactly the same as the first, so she figured they were working together. Either that or she had missed a fashion trend. She charged at the second man and leaped into the air, landing both feet on his chest and barreling out the window on top of him. She landed on the street, shattered glass and one beat mook hitting the ground around her. He let out a groan and just lay there instead of making an attempt to get back up.

Thinking that there might have been more, she reached behind her back and grabbed her weapon. She pressed the activation button and let Crescent Rose unfold over her shoulder. Three men stepped out of the shop. Two more were dressed the same as the first two, so she assumed they were mere thugs, but the last man wore a stylish white suit. He had a cigar sticking out of his mouth, a cane in one hand, and a red dust crystal in the other.

The man, who was obviously the leader, looked at his minions and motioned toward her. "Well? Get her."

Ruby grinned. Now was the time to let Crescent Rose do the talking. And the rest, as they say, is history.

* * *

Weiss Schnee sat in her father's office, staring across the room at the man who had come to visit her. He had gray hair, which surprised her. He didn't look old enough for gray hair. Not even the small glasses on his face made him actually look old, in spite of being the exact kind typical of most old people she'd encountered. This man's age was indiscernible as far as Weiss was concerned.

He was Professor Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon Academy. It was the most prestigious fighting school there was, which was saying a lot, and she couldn't care less. He was here on her father's request, to evaluate her eligibility for Beacon. She had no say in the matter. She had never had a say in the matter. She hoped Ozpin would see that and refuse to accept her.

She knew better, of course. She was a good fighter and any school would be foolish not to accept her. The best thing about the whole situation was that she had chosen Beacon. She didn't want to go, but at least at Beacon she could get herself expelled and then disappear where her father couldn't find her. There was no such chance any other place in the world.

Her father talked to Ozpin, though, thwarting any attempt the man made to speak to Weiss directly or privately. She could see that it was going to happen. She didn't understand why her father wanted her to go to a fighting school anyway, but there didn't seem to be anything she could do about it. She would prefer Ozpin just tell him to let her make her own way in the world, but again, she knew better.

Eventually, Ozpin stood up and made to leave. He smiled down at Weiss. "Congratulations. You've been accepted into Beacon, Miss Schnee."

Ozpin walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Weiss' father waited a minute before speaking. She could feel it coming long before he actually said anything. He was not happy with her. What did he want? She was accepted, wasn't she?

"Weiss, I am very disappointed." She hung her head. Whatever it was, she was sure he was right. He continued. "Yes, you were accepted, but it grieves me to know that your scores were barely enough. You qualified, but you were just above the bar. When you finish Beacon, I expect you to be at the very top of the class."

Weiss couldn't bring herself to look up at him. She was determined to beat this test. Maybe then, after Beacon, her dream would be realized. She had tried to slack on her grades so she wouldn't qualify for any of the big fighting schools, but she started too late. So now she would do everything the best she could. She would beat it all, surpass everyone, with flying colors. Then, maybe then, she would be allowed to sing.

* * *

Blake Belladonna slipped through the shadows silently, making her way through the building without a trace. No one would see her. She was too good to let that happen. The man was waiting for her, but both of them knew what would happen if they were caught. She had entered the building only minute earlier, and she had already reached the door she was looking for. She opened it and slipped inside, closing it behind her.

Inside, she was faced with the man she came to meet. He was a big man with a short black beard covering his face and a pair of red sunglasses hiding his eyes. Blake smiled cautiously, holding out a handful of money. The man took the Lien and counted it, then smiled.

"Miss Belladonna, it's been a pleasure doing business with you." He reached into his coat and pulled out a pair of folders. "The first one has all your information. The falsified documents are untraceable, and will pass for real. If you can think of a clever way to hide those ears, no one will know you're a Faunus."

Blake nodded and took the folder. "I've got it covered. Both of them, actually." The pointed black ears on top of her head twitched in a strange sort of confirmation. "What's the other one for, Junior?"

He hoisted the folder in question. "Now, this is where I ask you a favor." Blake's ears perked up at this. He grinned and held it out to her. "This folder has two fake application forms for Beacon Academy. One is for you, but I would like you to deliver the other one for me."

"This wasn't part of the deal, but I'll decide when you tell me who I'm delivering it to."

He opened the folder and glanced into it, nodding to himself. "All information you need is right in there, on a third piece of paper. The boy's name is Jaune. He's a klutz, so I don't expect he'll last long in Beacon, but his old man is a friend of mine. The kid thought he could convince me to lend him a hand. He's paid up, so I'm just holding my end of the deal. Although… I suggest being stealthy about it. Don't want him recognizing you when you're at Beacon together."

Blake nodded and turned to leave. "Alright, I'll get it done. Thank you." She didn't particularly want to risk it, but if she played it right there wouldn't be any real danger.

* * *

Lie Ren sat on the edge of his bed. He knew what would happen if he went to sleep. He would wake up, and it would suddenly be morning. Tomorrow morning was going to be full of excitement and stress, and that was something he really didn't want. He was looking forward to going to Beacon, that was only natural. What he didn't like was all the hustle and bustle so early in the morning.

He supposed that it wasn't so bad, considering he'd be going to Beacon with his friend Nora Valkyrie. She was so excited to go to Beacon that she had tired herself out in a way only she could. Now she was snoozing happily on the floor on the other side of his room. She'd get up before him, obviously, and be the driving force getting him up and going. She always was.

Eventually, he lay down and closed his eyes. He could only imagine what it would be like at Beacon. Tomorrow, he would see it for real. Maybe when they were at Beacon he would finally be able to gather up the courage to tell Nora…

* * *

Jaune Arc walked alone down the streets. He could see up ahead where someone was waiting for him. Whoever it was, they were hiding in the shadows of the alley. He took a moment to reassure himself. Junior was a friend of the family. If Junior said this person was safe, then they were safe. Jaune wouldn't come to harm.

Having steeled himself enough, he stepped forward. The person hiding in the shadows glared at him, their yellow eyes glowing with danger. The light from a nearby street lamp showed some of their face, as well as a pair of cat-like ears on their head. It was a Faunus, which gave him some cause to worry.

A hand reached out of the darkness, holding the piece of paper Jaune had come for. He took it, being as careful as he could to not go too fast or too slow. A female voice followed, whispering quietly to him.

"Good luck, Jaune."

With that, the Faunus woman turned and vanished into the alley. After standing their for a minute or so, Jaune walked away. He looked over the paper as he went. It looked perfect. With this, he would be able to get into Beacon Academy and fulfill his dreams.

* * *

Pyrrha Nikos stood waiting for the airship to arrive. It was her last connection, and it would take her to Beacon Academy. She could feel the sense of destiny sweeping over her. This school was the key to her future. She was going to pass and be known as one of Beacon's finest warriors. She could hardly wait.

The crowd around her was full of other students that would be her classmates. More were arriving every minute, but she knew that none of her friends would be there. It was a simple equation. You can't meet old friends at a new school if you didn't have any friends before.

Another girl bumped into her, turning and smiling at her. "Oh, sorry." The tall blonde held her hand out to Pyrrha. "Hi, I'm Yang."

Pyrrha smiled back, hoping she might be able to make friends at Beacon. It would be a change for her. She shook Yang's hand. "Hello, Yang. I'm Pyrrha. Let's be friends."

Yang laughed and nodded. "I like your approach. I need to remember that. My sister could use some advice making friends, and who can refuse an approach that simple?" She looked around for a moment. "I should probably find my sister and make sure she settles in first. She's got no clue what she's doing here. She jumped ahead two years."

Pyrrha sighed. "I can imagine how hard that must be on her."

Yang rubbed the back of her head idly. "Yeah… I should go find her. I'll catch you later." She turned and left, letting Pyrrha ponder how tough it would be on all of them.

Beacon wasn't an easy place to be at, but as far as Pyrrha knew everyone who went to Beacon came out as a strong and powerful Huntsman or Huntress. It was something to look forward to.

* * *

Cardin Winchester watched as the airship touched down. It was time to go. He was one of the first on board, and quickly found a good spot to sit down. He was strong and no one would beat him. That's how he lived, and that's how he got this far. Beacon was eager to accept him, and he was eager to take that chance. He was ready and willing to show everyone that he was the strongest student at Beacon.

* * *

Russel Thrush leaned back against the window, watching as all the other students flooded in. He struggled to hold back a laugh at how much armor they all seemed to be wearing. Every now and again, there would be someone without armor, but most opted to keep themselves protected. As far as he was concerned, if he couldn't dodge it and his aura wasn't enough to keep him alive, then it was his time.

* * *

Dove Bronzewing watched from his seat, silently keeping an eye on a group of boys. They had already moved in to pick on the easier targets. He thought it amazing how bullies could be found even on the way to a place like Beacon. He hoped her wouldn't be another bully at Beacon, but he knew it was likely. It was in his nature. The unfortunate girl with rabbit ears wouldn't get help from him, to his secret regret.

* * *

Sky Lark felt the ship touch down. The doors opened and the students moved out. He stepped out and looked up at Beacon. This was the day they were all waiting for. This would be the place where he would prove himself as a worthy warrior. For honor and glory, he would not walk away from this place as a failure.

* * *

Velvet Scarlatina waited until the other students went ahead, then followed behind at a safe distance. So this was Beacon Academy. She had suspected as much, and now she knew for sure. As big and prestigious as it was, Beacon was no different from anywhere else. It had been confirmed on the airship that she would suffer at the hands of bullies because she was a Faunus. She wasn't the only one, she was sure, but she had been singled out as weak.

Beacon wouldn't be different. It would just be fancier. She'd still be the target of discrimination no matter where she went. She looked up at the gates in front of her and prepared to step through. She would persevere. She would succeed. For her family and her friends. For everyone praying for her back home.

She spoke to herself, quietly trying to muster the strength. "Welcome to Beacon." She held her breath and took the step through the gates.

Then darkness.


	2. Welcome To Beacon

Jaune opened his eyes to find he was seated at a desk. He felt like he'd been sleeping there, he didn't know for how long. Looking around, he didn't even know where he was. It looked like a classroom, so he assumed it might be Beacon. But then where was everyone else? The room was empty except for him. It almost looked abandoned, save for a lack of dust covering every surface.

He slowly stood up and went to the door. There was nothing in this classroom that could help him. He needed to find out if he was alone in the building. He opened the door and quietly stepped into the hallway. It was silent and dark.

Hoping he wasn't completely alone, Jaune spoke to the halls around him, but kept his voice low so as to avoid scaring anyone. “Hello? Is anybody there?”

There was no response, but that was to be expected. He noticed a sign with an arrow on it, as well as the words 'Assembly Hall'. Deciding that it was as good a place as any to start, Jaune followed the sign. Along the way, he noticed a few open doors. He could see empty classrooms through them, and it was starting to make him wonder if others had woken up in the same situation as him.

Eventually, the sign proved its worth and he found himself standing in front of large double doors. They weren't particularly easy to open, but he soon figured it out and shoved them aside. The assembly hall was huge and well lit, with a large stage set at the back. That, of course, was not of immediate interest to him in comparison to the fourteen people who now stood facing him. They all looked like students, so he decided to greet them as such.

Jaune waved to the group, aware that they were all watching him. “Hi, guys. Uh… what's up?”

Weiss Schnee was the first to speak. Her voice reflected the cold look she gave Jaune. “Did you just wake up? The announcement told us all to be here ten whole minutes ago!”

Jaune scratched the back of his head nervously. “Yeah… I guess I missed that.”

Blake Belladonna spoke up. She flicked some of her dark hair out of her face and stared at him with bright yellow eyes. “This school has very high standards, Mr. Arc. Being punctual would be in your best interest. This better not become a habit.”

Jaune let his eyes wander up to the large bow on the girl's head. He thought it was a bit odd for someone who acted so serious, but he shook it off. “I'll try to work on that.”

Cardin Winchester crossed his arms and looked down at the smaller boy. “Good. I wouldn't want to have to pound you before I even know you.”

Pyrrha Nikos sighed and shook her head. “Well, if we were supposed to be here ten minutes ago, how come there are no faculty members here to meet us? And I thought there were more students, too.”

Lie Ren nodded in agreement. “It seems it's just the fifteen of us.” He looked at Jaune. “I assume you woke up in a classroom just like the rest of us.”

Jaune nodded. “Yeah, I think I lost consciousness as soon as I walked through the front gate. Next thing I know, I'm waking up in a classroom.”

Russel Thrush grumbled at the ground. “What a terrible way to welcome students. Someone's going to get an earful for this one.”

Nora Valkyrie jumped in. “I'm actually pretty excited! I mean, think about it! We're in the biggest and bestest school in the entire world!”

Dove Bronzewing glanced around. Something had been bothering him. “But where are all the other students? There had to be at least a hundred of us when the ship landed.”

Another boy, named Carl Leon, just shrugged it off. “Maybe they weren't actually students. Maybe they all work here or something.”

Ruby Rose spoke shyly from off to the side. “But then where is my sister? She should be here. She said we would be attending together.”

There were two girls that looked like twins who were standing together. The first one, Melanie Malachite, spoke softly to the others. “Perhaps this is how Beacon works. Maybe they only accept fifteen students a year.”

Miltiades Malachite, who was indeed Melanie's twin sister, spoke just above a whisper. “You know very well that Beacon has way more graduates than that every year.” Her voice was quiet enough, however, that no one really noticed.

Velvet Scarlatina stood near the back, hoping people would ignore her. She just talked quietly to herself. “I knew coming here was a bad idea. I think I want to go home.”

Sky Lark scoffed at the girl. “I wish you would. I can't believe they even let a freak like you in here.”

Jaune quickly realized that Sky was referring to Velvet's rabbit ears. A quick glance told him that no one else present was a Faunus, or at least visibly so. He supposed Blake could be hiding cat ears under her bow, but that was creeping into paranoia territory. Any further thought on the subject was cut off by Pyrrha walking over and speaking to him.

“So… Jaune, is it?”

He squinted at her suspiciously. “Uh, yeah… how did you know?”

She smiled and held up a small device, opening it up for him to see. “They're called scrolls. They give us, among other things, everyone's names. There's also a map of the school, though it seems to only show the main floor.” She handed him one just like her own. “They were just sitting out on the stage, one for each student. They already have our names on them, so this one's yours.”

He took it and smiled back. “Thanks.”

Jaune would have said more, but the overhead speakers suddenly crackled to life. “Attention! Attention all students! Please face the stage and prepare for orientation, as given by your headmaster!”

When they all had turned to face the stage, a screen slid down into view. Static flew across the screen for a second before they saw the image of their headmaster appear. He was a far cry from what any of them were expecting.

Weiss cried out in dismay and anger. “Who are you? You're not Headmaster Ozpin! What kind of stupid joke is this?”

The face that met them was a blank and expressionless face. It was a mask, in the shape of a bear. Some of the students recoiled at the sight while others simply stared in confusion. The voice that came from behind the mask sounded intentionally irritating and shrill, making it seem unlikely that the person behind the mask actually sounded like that for real.

“No, I'm not Ozpin. I am his replacement, and good thing too cause I'm way more awesome! I am…” He threw his hands in the air enthusiastically. “Headmaster Deadb3ar!”

Cardin crossed his arms defiantly. “This is ridiculous. What's going on here?”

Blake stepped in front of the large boy, facing the bear-faced entity. “Where is Headmaster Ozpin?”

The figure didn't even move as it answered. “He's taking a long rest.”

Ren stepped forward this time, catching the subtle hint. “You mean he's dead, don't you?”

Everyone else stared at him, shocked by his accusation. Deadb3ar just laughed, the most irritating and terrifying laugh any of them had ever heard. “Well, if you're already onto it, then I guess I won't keep you waiting. Yes, Ozpin is dead, but don't look at me. I didn't do it. I'm just his replacement.”

Weiss jumped at him again. “Like we're going to believe that! What is it you want with us? And where are the other students? What have you done with them?”

“The other students? There were other students, but they're not here anymore. They all left of their own volition, before you start accusing me of whatever. All I did was close the door behind them.” In whatever room he was speaking to them from, he jumped up and down. “But that's all beside the point! The school semester has started and I need to explain the rules of the school to you all now!”

Pyrrha voiced what all of them were thinking, shouting at the screen from in amongst the crowd of incredulous students. “What makes you think we're even going to listen to you? We have no reason to believe you or trust you! We don't know you!”

He laughed again. Velvet and Ruby covered their ears, shivering at the sound. Deadb3ar stared down at them, a mean glint in his eyes. “You would be very wise to listen up. All of you would. You could say it's a life or death situation.”

Velvet was quietly whimpering to herself. “I want to go home. I want to go home.”

The bear sighed and shrugged. “You can go home any time you want. All you have to do is graduate.”

She looked up, her tall ears perking up at the information. “G-graduate?”

Jaune wondered out loud. “You mean like finishing four years of school?” Velvet's ears drooped again at this.

Deadb3ar shrugged again. “Oh, it's a lot simpler and quicker than that. You only have to do one thing, really. It's just a matter of how hard that might be.”

Cardin growled impatiently. “And what's that?”

Deadb3ar let out another laugh before actually answering the question. “Well, it's like this! To graduate from this school, you have to commit the perfect murder.”

The fifteen students stood in silence while this new information sunk in. Their expressions showed that they were slowly coming to understand what he had just said, and one by one, their dawning realization turned to shocked horror. The silence was broken by a whimpering sound from the back of the group, which turned out to be Ruby instead of Velvet.

Nora suddenly shouted angrily at the bear. “That's preposterous! You want us to kill people?”

He shook his head. “More specifically, Miss Valkyrie, I want you to kill each other.”

There were several gasps from the students. It didn't escape Jaune's notice which students in particular seemed more contemplative than horrified. He didn't want to start by pointing fingers, so he said nothing.

Weiss stepped toward the screen threateningly. “This is absurd! Do you know who I am?”

“You are Weiss Schnee, a skilled fighter, talented singer, and the heir to the Schnee Dust Corporation. That's who you think you are, but in here you are one of two things. You're either a killer or you are a victim. I advise you all to consider very carefully which of those you want to be.”

Finished, Deadb3ar stepped off-screen. It then flicked off and retracted into the ceiling. There were a few moments of shocked silence, and then people started breaking down.

Jaune looked around him, trying to judge how the others were reacting. Cardin and Weiss were simply glaring at where the screen had been. Blake, Ren, and Carl were staring at the ground, trying to come to grips with the situation. Melanie was trying to console Miltia, who was whispering frantically to her sister. The other three boys just stood there, exchanging glances. Pyrrha was trying in vain to comfort a tearing Ruby while Velvet wept openly.

It took him a few seconds extra to notice that Nora was missing. He turned around to find that she was standing right behind him. She looked at him, scanning him with her green eyes. It was starting to creep him out, so he backed away.

Nora gave a friendly smile. “We should all just wait this out, don't you think? Eventually, that bear guy will just give up.”

Jaune grinned nervously. “Sure. Of course he will.”

“Besides…” She skipped over to the stage. “It's not like he can keep us from leaving the school.”

The overhead speakers crackled to life again. “By the way, all doors and windows have been covered and sealed. You'd have to be… nah, you can't get out. Might as well accept it now. The only way out is to get away with a murder. Someone do that, please.”

Ruby jumped up off the ground and screamed at the speaker. “Screw you! Give me back my sister!”

There was a short pause before Deadb3ar's voice came back. “Oh, the gorgeous blond? Yeah, she's fine. I locked her up with Ozpin.”

“Let Yang go, you jerk!” When there was no response, Ruby ran at the wall under the speaker and started pounding at it with her fists. “Give Yang back! Give her back now!”

Pyrrha ran to Ruby's side even as the smaller girl slid down to the floor, sobbing heavily. Pyrrha looked back up to Jaune and Nora, beckoning them over. She spoke quietly to them. “I need you two to help me keep this girl safe. She was moved ahead two years, so I don't think she's ready for something like this.”

Jaune looked at Nora, then back to Pyrrha. “None of us are ready for this. I don't think anyone could ever be ready for something like this.”

Pyrrha nodded. “Yes, but still, I'm not sure who we can trust. I doubt anyone is stupid enough to do what that lunatic is telling us to do, but I'd like to be sure. I'd appreciate it if you two could help me figure out who is trustworthy and how much.”

Nora nodded enthusiastically. “Well, Ren's been my best friend for a long time, so we can definitely trust him.”

Jaune held up his hand to get Pyrrha's attention. “Don't take this the wrong way, but what makes you think you can trust us?”

Pyrrha stood up, leaving Ruby curled up on the ground. “Maybe I shouldn't, but if we're going to try to live somewhat normal lives in here, we'd best start by trusting each other. I'd like to just go around trusting everyone right off, but we don't have that kind of luxury. I have to start by trusting someone and then work from there. So, Jaune, can I trust you.”

He nodded. “Well, yeah… of course you can trust me.”

Pyrrha looked back down to Ruby. “She will be seen as weak by the others. If anyone's going to try and kill someone, she's a prime target. We need to protect her.”

Everyone saw Ruby, huddled on the ground and shaking, but there was something else that none of them could see. Her mind was racing a million miles a minute, working out every possibility. They were going to protect her. That would work for her. It would make everything that much easier.


	3. The First Step

Their first day at Beacon was spent exploring the school, trying to find any sign of a way out. None were found in the end, but at the very least they had managed to find some useful rooms. They split into groups of three, with the exception of Carl, saying he would rather not have people who might try to kill him following him around everywhere, and the Malachite sisters, preferring to go off together.

Jaune, along with Weiss and Dove, had found a series of corridors lined with doors, each of which led to a bedroom. Pyrrha stayed in the gym with Ruby, watching over her, while Russel poked around in the sports equipment. Nora, Cardin, and Blake were in the kitchen, thoroughly amazed by the array of foods available to them. Ren, Sky, and Velvet had found some stairs leading to an upper floor, but there was a gate blocking the way.

Velvet called the boys back just as they were about to leave. "There's someone on the other side!"

Ren and Sky walked up to the gate and peered through, listening for any sounds. The lights on the stairs had been turned off, but what they saw was unmistakable. Walking down the stairs from the floors above was a dark figure with a large bulbous head. As they stepped closer, moving slowly in a trance-like march, the three students could make out that the huge bulk of a head was in fact the familiar bear-shaped mask. Deadb3ar walked right past them like they weren't even there, turning to go further downstairs.

Ren called after the bear-headed headmaster. "Why are these gates here?"

Deadb3ar turned just as he was taking the first step down, distracted by the question. His foot slipped and he tumbled down the stairs, falling head over heels until he hit the landing at the bottom. It was dark, so they couldn't see very well, but it looked like the bear mask had fallen off.

Velvet cringed at the sound of the crash. "A-are you okay?"

The person at the bottom of the stairs stood up slowly, no longer wearing the bear face to hide their own. They turned to glance back up the stairs, causing all three students to gasp in shock. They couldn't be sure because it was so dark, but it looked like the face of a young woman. Whoever it was, they grabbed the bear mask and disappeared around the corner. The three of them backed away from the gate, unsure how to react.

* * *

Jaune and Dove leaned back against the wall opposite a bedroom door, not actually listening as Weiss spieled on about how to unlock the doors. She had already figured out that each student's individual scroll would unlock only their own bedroom, but she was still talking ten minutes later. Jaune was almost wondering if she had said anything of interest since she started. Almost.

Weiss, on the other hand, was fully aware that they had stopped listening. "…and no one can get into your room at night in order to murder you, an added bonus. Then there's these little images on the door, telling us which room belongs to which student. While I find the crude representation of me to be irritatingly unflattering, I think most of the others do their job quite well." She paused for a mere second before continuing in the exact same tone. I swear, I could start swearing and rapping, stripping, or even stabbing you idiots and you wouldn't notice."

The boys shook themselves back to attention. Jaune looked up at her. "Okay, I think I got it, but just in case, you should say everything again."

Weiss groaned in frustration. "I hope you both realize I could have killed you just now."

They exchanged worried looks, then turned back to her. Dove stayed quiet and let Jaune speak for both of them. "Not the encourage that sort of thing, but… why didn't you?"

Weiss just glared at him. "I'm honestly not sure." She put away her scroll and started walking away. "Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I came to Beacon to learn to fight monsters and protect Humans. Murdering my fellow students? Ha! It doesn't matter if you're worthy of this school or not, but killing you would be contrary to my objectives. Counterproductive, I tell you!"

Dove spoke up briefly. "So you're saying you won't kill anyone?"

Weiss turned around, glaring icicles at them. "Yes. That's what I'm saying. I would never kill another person in my life, and you can count on that." She started to leave again, but added one last piece. "But anyone who attacks me will wish I would have killed them."

She walked off, and they followed at a distance. Jaune looked to Dove and whispered quietly. "What about you?"

Dove nodded. "The headmaster wants us to kill each other. That's bunk. No one here is that stupid."

Weiss' voice came from ahead of them, lower and softer that earlier. "We can only hope so, but most of us can only speak for ourselves. I don't trust anyone, and if you're smart you will do the same."

* * *

"Maybe you shouldn't start by gorging yourself. You'll be an easy target once you're fat and immobile."

Nora ignored Blake and stuffed another slice of cake into her mouth, savoring the delightful taste of coconut and lemon. She spoke around a full mouth. "You're just jealous." She reached over and grabbed a large glass of milk, drinking down half the glass in one gulp. There were two gulps.

Blake shook her head. "Jealousy doesn't even begin to describe how I feel."

On the other side of the table from Nora, Cardin was sorting out an actually rounded meal for himself. He had a small bowl of salad at the side of his plate, but he was working on the main course. What Blake guess was half a whole chicken dominated the spread, surrounded by various vegetables, mashed potatoes, and a small wheel of cheese.

Blake just stood and watched the two eat to their hearts' desires. "I don't think it's a good idea to be eating so much so soon. We probably have limited resources in here."

Nora shook her head. "Have you read your scroll, Blake? There's one section in there that explains that all the food is resupplied overnight. We could live here for years!"

Cardin filled a cup out of a bottle of fruit punch. "Right! So I say here's to five peaceful years right here in Beacon."

Nora lifted her glass of milk after refilling it, and the two drinks clinked together. "Here here!" She drank the whole glass again and looked to Blake, ignoring the white outline around her mouth. "Blake, mind if I ask you a question?"

Blake sighed and sat down. "As long as it's not about the bow."

Nora seemed lost for a moment, staring at the large black ribbon on Blake's head. She shrugged. "I was wondering about that too, but I figure it's your business what goes on your head. No, I was just wondering how seriously you took the headmaster when he said we had to kill each other to escape."

Blake was silent for a moment, allowing Cardin to interrupt. "He says we have to kill each other to graduate. Seeing as we came here to learn how to protect people, we would actually be utterly failing our goal by killing someone. I didn't come here to fail. Plus, he never guaranteed he wouldn't kill us as soon as we graduated."

Nora nodded in agreement. "That's great, but I asked her."

Blake leaned back in her seat, thinking about their situation. Eventually, she stood up and headed for the door. "I don't see any reason to right now… but I can't make any promises." Then she left.

* * *

"So can I trust you?"

Russel stood with his arms crossed, looking like he was considering Pyrrha's offer. Eventually, he nodded. "Well, yes. I mean, I can't speak for anyone who attacks me, but I won't go around looking for someone to kill. This whole situation is ridiculous. I think we should just wait it out."

Pyrrha let out the breath she'd been holding. "Alright, that's all I ask." She looked back down to Ruby. The smaller girl was huddled in a ball, looking like she had gone to sleep. "I just want to keep her safe. I met her sister briefly before all this happened. I know it's a tenuous connection, but I feel responsible for her. At least until we rescue Yang."

Russel was quiet for a moment before he smiled and laughed. "Good luck then." He stepped forward and shook Ruby awake, ignoring Pyrrha's glare digging into his head. Ruby opened her eyes and looked up at him. He just smiled. "I thought I should let you know before you turn up dead that she's probably just trying to get close to you so she can take you out. She's a bit too obvious."

Pyrrha gasped and shoved him away. "Shut your mouth, you…" She cut herself off and stood up, grabbing Russel and dragging him out of the gym. Once out in the hall, she threw him down and closed the door behind her. "You stay away from her, you… you… dammit, don't touch her again!"

A kick to his stomach kept him down long enough for her to close the gym door, leaving him in the hall alone. He struggled to his feet, completely out of breath, and shook his head. "Yeah… called it."

* * *

Melanie knelt down in front of a cooler, looking in at the rows and rows of bags of blood. She grimaced, thinking of how these might be used improperly. Miltia was behind her, sorting through shelves of medicines. They had found what appeared to be the nurse's office. There were only three beds, which looked woefully inadequate for a school like Beacon.

Miltia picked up a bottle of pills. "I remember being taught not to consume anything you couldn't pronounce. This room is a nightmare waiting to happen. Especially in the hands of someone…" She trailed off, lowering her voice to barely above a whisper. "Someone preparing the food."

Melanie caught her sister's point. She stood up and headed for the door. "Let's head back. It's about time to report our findings."

Her twin nodded, following her out into the hall.

* * *

As they had all agreed, the fifteen students gathered in the dining hall when it was time for supper. They discussed their predicament, most of them ignoring what little food was set out. The general mood was depressed and angry. Most of the students sat at a large rectangle-shaped table at the center of the room.

Pyrrha, Jaune, Nora, Ren, and Ruby were seated at one of the outlying smaller circular tables, reporting on how trustworthy the others were. Jaune looked at the other table, counting out all ten of their fellow students. He turned back to his companions.

"Well, nobody's dead yet. That's a good sign, right?"

Pyrrha glared over at the other table. "Russel probably won't go after anyone directly, but I think he means to turn us all against each other."

Ruby shook her head. "Nah, I don't like him." Pyrrha had figured as much, seeing as Ruby had cheered up almost instantly after he was thrown out of the gym.

Pyrrha looked over at Jaune. "What about Dove and Weiss?"

Jaune shrugged. "He thinks none of us are stupid enough to fall into this. Weiss was kind of angry when I asked her, but I think she said it was beneath her or something like that. She said she won't kill anyone, but it sounded like extreme bodily harm wasn't out of the question."

Nora watched the other table carefully. Russel and Cardin were pushing Velvet around. "I think Cardin is a bully… but he said killing people was stupid because we came to Beacon to learn to protect people. So he's a mean jerk, but we should be able to trust him. Blake is… nicer, I guess. But when I asked her, she said 'no promises'. What does that mean?"

Pyrrha sighed. "That means she won't kill anyone without a reason… I hope. It would be nice if we knew what she considered a reason. What about your group, Ren?"

The dark-haired boy shook his head. "Didn't get a chance to ask. We found a staircase that was blocked off by a gate, though, and we saw the headmaster on the other side. He… well, actually, we think it's a she."

Nora and Ruby both gasped. Pyrrha leaned across the table and lowered her voice. "What makes you think so?"

Ren also leaned over the table, matching her volume. "They fell down the stairs. The bear head… thing fell off. We saw their face. It was dark, but it looked like a woman."

Their attention suddenly shifted to the other table where Carl was shooing Cardin and Russel's hands away from Velvet. "Oh, leave her alone already. She's just a confused little girl."

From the other side of the table, Weiss excused their actions. "They can let off a little steam at her expense if it keeps them all calmed. She is a Faunus, after all."

Blake was about to snap at Weiss when Carl laughed loudly. "Wait, what? These are real?" He poked at her ears mockingly, causing her to flinch. "I thought she found the drama room's costumes."

Everyone in the room was shocked to see the next moment when he grabbed her by the ears and pulled her out of her seat. Before anyone else could react, Blake leaped across the table and pounced on him, shoving him to the ground. She squeezed her hand around his throat and growled. "You leave her alone, you fiend!"

He just grinned wickedly, and watched as Velvet rushed out of the room. "Oh, come on. We all know she'll be the first to go. I'm just trying to get my fair share of fun in before she's not here anymore."

Blake practically screamed at him. "You bastard!" She lifted him up and slammed him back into the floor. He just laughed back at her.

Pyrrha ran around the table as Blake stood up, stopping just out of her reach. "Blake, that's enough!"

Blake's yellow eyes burned at Pyrrha, rage welling up in them. "No, it's not enough. He needs to learn a lesson." She reached up over her shoulder and pulled her weapon off her back, angling its wide blade at Carl. He just continued on grinning at her. "Treating your fellow students here at Beacon the way you just did will not be tolerated." She looked back at everyone else as they stared back in shock. "That goes for each and every one of you."

Blake raised Gambol Shroud and slashed down at Carl.

The movement was so fast that no one realized it had happened until it was too late. Blake looked down at Carl's still smiling face, then took a step back. "What…" She looked over at Pyrrha, seeing the shock on her face. Blake took another step back, slowly coming to understand what had just happened. "Uh… shit."

Then Blake collapsed, crashing onto the table and sliding down to the floor, Gambol Shroud sticking up out of her midsection.


	4. Black and White

Blake's eyes shot open, searching around her to find that she had been moved to one of the bedrooms. She was alone for now, but it left her a little worried about what was happening beyond the walls of this one room. When she tried to sit up, a jolt of pain shocked her entire body. When she was able to breathe freely again more than a minute later, she stayed put and resigned herself to being bedridden. Reaching up slowly, she patted her head. She sighed in relief when she found that her bow was still in its place. Feeling along her body, she found where she had been wounded. It was wrapped in strips of cloth. Evidently, someone had also put a lot of aura use into healing her. She would have to find out who, and then thank them properly.

Looking to the shelf beside the bed, she saw Gambol Shroud sitting and waiting for her to recover. Seeing the weapon reminded her how she was injured. "Carl… bastard's gonna pay for this."

A glance at the clock that was sitting on the shelf beside her weapon, and she realized how late it was. She determined that she should try and get some more sleep before morning. Hopefully, her body would have had enough time to heal up further by then. Slowly, but surely, she fell back into a deep sleep.

In her sleep, Blake was visited by dreams. They were not happy dreams, but were instead dreams of fear and oppression. She dreamed of crime, her own life, the regrets of her past flooding her. If anyone had been in the room, they would have heard her crying in her sleep. But the dreams moved on past the White Fang, past her shameful life, and past Adam. What followed shook her to the core.

That girl, Ruby, looking back down at her from the top of a cliff. The body of a giant Grimm bird collapsed to the ground as Blake looked on in awe. She turned her head and saw a girl about her age, with flowing blonde hair. She knew she had never seen this girl before, but somehow she was familiar. Just beyond the blonde girl stood Weiss, the cold-hearted heiress of the Schnee Dust Company.

Weiss' image filled her vision. _"You want to know why I despise the White Fang? It's because they're a bunch of liars, thieves, and murderers!"_

" _Well maybe we were just tired of being pushed around!"_

Blake's eyes shot open. The door to her room burst open and Pyrrha and Ren rushed in, weapons drawn. Instinctively, Blake tried to jump up and grab Gambol Shroud. Her wound hadn't healed nearly enough for that kind of movement, so she ended up curled up in pain on the floor beside her bed. Blood started soaking through the cloth bandages, staining the floor.

Pyrrha saw what had happened and threw down her weapon, running to Blake's side. Still running on adrenaline, Blake reached up for Gambol Shroud, frantically clawing at the shelf until her own weapon fell down on top of her. Ignoring the smaller cut that appeared on her shoulder, she grabbed the handle and waved the blade in front of her.

"Get away! Get away from me!"

Pyrrha took a step back, motioning for Ren to stay by the door. "Blake, calm down. We're not trying to hurt you. We were standing guard outside your door for the night. We didn't want anyone taking advantage of your condition."

Blake stopped waving the blade around, but kept it held out towards Pyrrha. "Why wasn't my door locked?"

"This is your room. We couldn't lock the door from the inside without leaving someone in here with you, and we couldn't lock it from the outside because we left your scroll in here."

Blake's mind was racing to remember what else was important. "Well then… what… what does Weiss know about me?"

Pyrrha backed up further, looking Blake over. She was trembling all over, clearly panicking and possibly even traumatized. "Weiss…? What do you mean?"

She shook her weapon angrily. "What does she know about me? My past! Did I say anything to her? Did… did anyone take off my bow?"

"You… your bow? Blake, what are you talking about?"

Blake saw the look of complete confusion on Pyrrha's face, and a similar one on Ren's. She lowered her weapon. "So… nobody knows anything about me."

Ren sighed and put away his weapon as well. "There's a few who think you might be crazy. Other than that, about as much as most of us know about each other."

Pyrrha shook her head. "No, Blake. No one knows anything about you." She looked over to Ren for a moment, letting Blake catch the side of a small smile. "But… we would like to. Some of us _do_ want to be your friends."

Blake nodded, finally putting her weapon on the ground. "Alright… not yet, but alright."

Pyrrha let out her breath, relieved that things were starting to go smoother. "Good… now, you've gone and torn your stitches. You should be more grateful. It took five of us to get you to recover as fast as you have. That's five of us that have been all but defenseless over night."

Pyrrha helped Blake back onto the bed, then set Gambol Shroud back on the shelf. She opened one of the drawers underneath the shelf and pulled out a sewing kit. Blake groaned and fell back into the pillow, wishing she could be unconscious again. Seeing what was coming next, Ren gave a polite bow and left the room.

Once the door was closed, Pyrrha started cutting away at the bandages. "I'm going to have to take off your shirt as well. It'll be easier without it getting in the way. We didn't take it off last time because some of the boys were present, and I didn't want to start stripping you without your consent."

Blake gave a small nod. "Fine. Just cut it off. I'm not gonna struggle at trying to pull it off. It would be way too painful."

Pyrrha went to work cutting the material away so that she could get a better look at the wound. It wasn't the only thing she got a better look at, but she tried her best to focus on the task at hand. Blake blushed a little, but there was little she could do about the situation.

As Pyrrha worked to close up the wound, Blake thought to ask her a few questions. "The oth- …the Faunus girl. Velvet. How is she?"

Pyrrha smirked. "She's still asleep in her room. She tired herself out using her aura to help heal you. Nora, Ren, Melanie, and myself also pretty much drained ourselves. Jaune and Weiss kept first watch on your room while the rest of us slept."

Blake closed her eyes and smiled. "Thanks for all this. I'll have to thank them as well."

Pyrrha gave a small laugh. "Add Cardin and Dove to your list of people to thank. They dragged Carl off to a tiny little closet somewhere and blocked him in. We've generally agreed to not let him out until you've fully recovered. Nora wanted to break his legs, but…"

"And I still think we should!"

Standing in the doorway in all her glory was Nora. She even posed for an imaginary camera. A moment later, she was standing over Blake and inspecting the damage done. Blake shrunk away from the excitable redhead, unsure of her intentions.

Nora smiled at her. "How are you doing today?"

Before Blake could answer, another person entered the room. The ice queen grabbed Nora's collar. "Nora, go play somewhere else. Come on. Ren's in the kitchen."

Blake and Pyrrha watched as Nora pranced out the door and followed Weiss, after which Pyrrha looked back down to Blake. "Can I ask you a question."

"Yes." Blake looked skeptical, but at least willing to hear the question first.

Pyrrha sat back, trying to piece together the right question before asking it. "What was all that you were saying before, about Weiss and… your bow?"

Blake froze, staring at Pyrrha for a long time. Right when Pyrrha was thinking she wouldn't answer, she spoke just above a whisper. "No one can know, Weiss least of all."

Pyrrha nodded, not really sure where Blake was going with this. "You can trust me."

Blake sighed, then reached up to her bow. She undid the knot and slowly pulled the ribbon off, revealing a pair of dark-colored cat ears. She watched Pyrrha's reaction carefully, taking note of how the other girl eventually just smirked. It was hard to tell exactly what she was thinking, but Blake was beginning to feel that everything was going to work out alright.

That feeling disappeared the moment the black ribbon was lifted up between their faces, hanging off the tip of Myrtenaster. Weiss, who had never actually left, looked like she was hardly able to contain herself. "I should have known, the way you jumped to protect that girl."

Pyrrha stepped between Weiss and the bed. "Don't do anything stupid, Weiss."

Weiss let the ribbon slide off her blade and onto the floor, then sheathed her weapon. "It appears I came here to do something stupid. I just didn't know it until now." She made to step forward, but Pyrrha blocked her. Weiss just shoved her aside, a white glow starting to form around her hands. "Ruby is demanding that we all gather in the gym. Blake is one of us, whether or not I think she should be."

Weiss placed her hands over Blake's wound, letting her aura flow through her and into Blake's body. The wound healed further, causing Blake to cry out in pain. Moments later, Weiss moved her hands away and walked back to the door, putting her hand on the wall to stabilize herself after such a heavy drain.

Blake tried sitting up again, realizing that it came a lot easier now. The pain was still there, and the wound was still large, but it was all bearable. She looked up at Weiss, still not quite sure why she had helped her heal, but she was grateful. "Weiss… Thank you."

Weiss didn't look back at her. "You don't belong here. Just remember that."

Pyrrha waited until Weiss really had gone before walking back to Blake's side. "Blake, I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." Blake pushed herself into a seated position, planting her feet on the floor. "I'm the one who slipped up."

She stood up, testing herself before letting go of the bed, then opened one of the drawers and pulled out a school uniform. Pyrrha insisted on wrapping fresh bandages around her chest to keep the injury in check before she put the uniform on. When she had finished changing, she wrapped the ribbon around her ears and tied the knot back up. She wasn't ready for everyone to know, and if Weiss felt like telling… well, there would be a big bloody mess on the floor.

They walked to the gym in silence, both quietly wondering why Ruby of all people would have demanded everyone's presence. They stepped into the gym and saw everyone else standing and looking towards the stands. When they followed their classmates' stares, they caught site of something that chilled them all.

Ruby was seated in the back row, looking down at everyone with a childish smile. In her lap, extending several feet in both directions, was a massive scythe. The metal blade on the terrifying weapon gleamed, displaying how clean and sharp the edge was.

Nora broke the silence, possible being the only one who wasn't struck dumb at the sight of the awesome weapon. "Hi, Ruby! What did you call us here for?"

The smallest and youngest of the entire group swung her huge weapon over her shoulder with ease. "Well… first I wanted to show you all my weapon. I figure it'd be a good way to dissuade you all from trying to kill me when you know you'd have to answer to my baby here."

Weiss shook her head. "That's great, Ruby. But what the heck is that thing?"

Ruby smiled, holding it high for all to see. "She's a scythe that doubles as a sniper rifle. I call her Crescent Rose."

"And where did you get it?" Weiss' condescending tone seemed to bother everyone except the person it was directed at.

Ruby just shrugged innocently. "I made her when I went to attend Signal Academy."

Before anyone could react to that outrageous claim, a large began to descend from the ceiling right above Ruby. Noticing her classmates' upward gazes, Ruby glanced up and immediately jumped off the stand with a startled yelp. She landed in the crowd, folding her weapon up and hugging it closely.

The screen came to life, showing a figure that was far more startling than any bear mask. They were looking into a dark room. The camera was centered on a lone chair, which held its occupant in the shadows where they couldn't see. Further back were some curtains that had been drawn shut over a large window. Shallow breathing came from the limp figure obscured by darkness, with what looked like a blindfold covering their eyes. Ruby recognized the feathered blond hair that draped over the prisoner's shoulders.

Deadb3ar walked into sight behind the weakened girl. His harsh high-pitched voice cut into their minds. "Here's an idea. If no one commits a murder within the next twenty-four hours, something dreadfully terrible will happen to this girl."

Ruby jumped forward. "That's Yang! Let her go! Let my sister go!"

Deadb3ar just laughed at her cries. "It's simple, Ruby, but not that simple. If you want, I can throw in some extra incentives for the rest of you. There are video clips that have been downloaded onto your scrolls. Each one is a personal message from families and loved ones. You know, to give you something to go home to. Feel free to enjoy them at your leisure, and keep in mind that this girl's life is at stake here."

The screen flicked off and retracted into the ceiling. Ruby dropped to her knees and started sobbing, clutching Crescent Rose tighter. The others began to drift away from the scene, most of them wondering if they wanted to see the videos they had been given. Blake just stood and watched as Pyrrha went to try and comfort Ruby. She didn't notice that Weiss was standing beside her until the heiress spoke.

"Please tell me I'm not the only one who feels like something funny is going on."

Blake eyed her incredulously. "I don't see anything funny about any of this."

Weiss glared at her. "Don't get catty with me. Perhaps you would prefer I say that something phony is going on?"

"What do you mean?"

Weiss lowered her voice to a whisper. "Maybe you were too busy looking at the pitiful little girl whose life could already have been snuffed out, but I was looking at the rest of the picture. For you information, that was a recording. It was not a live fee."

Blake lowered her voice to the same volume as Weiss. "How can you know that?"

"At the top, there was a crack between the curtains. The sky was far too black and a bit too starry for…" She checked her scroll. "…half an hour to noon. That video was recorded at night. Maybe last night. Maybe days ago. But it didn't just happen."

"But he… he responded directly when Ruby yelled at him."

Weiss turned away. "Did he? So is the night sky a liar, or is Ruby? Don't forget, we can't see the sky at all from in here. Every window we can find is covered in a thick metal shield with some kind of current running through it. It's clearly designed to keep us trapped and unawares. Maybe it's actually night out there, and the days have been flipped on us. Maybe, just maybe, Ruby is just that predictable. Either way, it was designed to trick us."


End file.
